Running boards are available as an option for larger sized vehicles such as sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, mini-vans, and cross-ever vehicles. In model year 2003, the Lincoln Navigator became the first vehicle available with a factory installed powered running board. In this running board, the deck or stepping platform will automatically retract and extend upon closing and opening the door. This retractable running board is described in United States Patent Publication no. US 2002/0113400 ('400).
The '400 running board provides a deck that extends longitudinally along the side of the vehicle adjacent the rocker panel. The deck is operably connected to the vehicle by a set of four bar links. A drive motor is operably connected to a gear box to effect drive to the four bar link to move the running board between inboard and outboard positions. The gear box adds considerable cost to the running board assembly, and its size increases weight and reduces the applicability of the drive mechanism for small vehicles with limited packaging space under the vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,207, a retractable running board is illustrated. The running board assembly has a deck supported by a series of hinges. Each hinge is a four bar link. An axle gangs each of the hinges together such that a single drive can be applied to the axle to drive uniformly each of the hinges.